WASHINGTON, D.C. — Widespread dissatisfaction with politics is feeding a movement to promote limits on the length of time an elected federal politician may serve. Stripped of all its meaningless rhetoric, that movement boils down to one point: Limit the terms of those with whom I disagree, but don’t touch the ones I admire. Whatever […]
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NTSB recommends FAA, National Weather Service improve weather forecasts to pilots
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board said May 7 that the National Weather Service and the FAA should provide improved forecast services to pilots. NTSB officials pointed to nine areas for the two agencies to provide better information. The recommendations were based on the NTSB’s accident investigations involving aircraft encountering weather conditions, such […]
Government and GA groups differ over security actions
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While aviation groups here are seeking to reduce the way general aviation pilots are stopped for questioning about possible terror flights, at the same time a powerful Senator was declaring concern about gaps in GA security. In his opening statement at a Senate aviation subcommittee hearing April 30 about scheduled airline service […]
Questions surround NextGen
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA reported earlier this month that it had completed nationwide equipment installation for the NextGen aircraft tracking system. The announcement — like others in the past and probably those in the future — raises more questions than it provides answers, particularly for general aviation. The nationwide installation of the Automatic Dependent […]
FAA issues second GA airport study
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has issued its second study of general aviation airports, called ASSET 2, this time covering 497 airports that did not fit into a category under the original study. In 2012, the FAA released a one-year-and-a-half study that examined the role GA airports play in the national aviation system. Nearly 3,000 […]
Warning signs in FAA forecast
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The recently released forecast by the FAA for 2014 to 2034 is generally upbeat for aviation, but when digging into the big report it had a picture not so rosy for much of general aviation. This should send an alert to GA’s alphabet groups and those in the industry to rev up […]
Light at the end of a long tunnel of decline
WASHINGTON, D.C. — General aviation might be seeing some light at the end of the long tunnel of decline, according to comments from officials from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at their annual “state of the industry” press conference. GAMA, which now reports world-wide data, shows that 50% of GA deliveries last year were […]
FAA forecast shows growth in turbine planes and sport pilots
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The long-term outlook for general aviation is favorable, even though the slow growth of the U.S. economy has affected near-term growth, according to the FAA, which released its forecasts for the years 2014 to 2034 today. According to the forecast, the growth in numbers of aircraft and hours flown will be primarily […]
Déjà vu in president’s latest budget proposal
WASHINGTON. D.C. — Anti-general aviation measures in President Obama’s proposed budget for 2015 will keep GA’s alphabet groups busy working Congress to once again defeat the same issue they have fought in past years. The main proposals affecting aviation are: A $100 fee for some GA flights; a reduction in time for business to take […]